Lubrication assembly



April 18, 1933. l F. w. EDWARDS 1,904,295

LUBRIGATIO ASSEMBLY vFiled June y6, 1930 v z Sheets-sheet 1 WL kfw 31 @l Qi w 1f NQ w "Q N g NBN' N iw! C) Q .wflil H l g 0 l f MEQ* F. W. EDWARDS LUBRICATION ASSEMBLY Filed June 6 1930 April 1s, 1933.

' @STATES EMR EDWRDS, 0F CHICAGO, ILIQIS, ASSIGNQB TO TEE 0m@ HEER @ANY 0F ILLIENOES, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINQS, A COB'GMTION 0F Illiim LUnnIcArIoN i -f rlhis invention relates to an assembly of lubricating apparatus .particularly adapted for the lubrication of the bearing brasses and wheel hub anges of locomotives, although u its utility is not limited to such installations but is applicable to other installations where it is desired to feed lubricant, preferably in measured uantities, or at a predetermined rate of teeth, to a plurality of points to be io lubricated.

The main object ot the invention is to provide a lubrication assembly of such a nature that a single lubricator may suppl lubricant to a plurality oi points to be lubriis cated, such points usually being in relative proximity to the lubricator but separated therefrom.k

The invention consists, essentially, in the combination with a lubricator, preferably of 2o the mechanical force feed type having a plurality of leeds, of a distributor or manilold connected with and receiving lubricant from one ci suchfeeds and provided with a plurality of outlets lby means of which the.

25 lubricant may be split up or divided into a plurality of separate streams and fed to a similar plurality ol points relatively easy to leed and requiring relatively scant lubrica- V tion, the remainder of the feeds of the lubrit cater being preferably directl connected with a like number of oirts re ativelydilicult to leed and requiring relatively copiers lubrication, as l will proceed now to explain and finally claim. p

ln the accompanyiniV drawingsillustrating the invention, in tie several iigure's of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure l is-a somewhat diagrammatic' sec?a tional elevation, illustrating the application eu ci the lluln'ication assembly of my invention to the axle brasses and hub faces of the drive wheelsof a locomotive of the 2-10-2 type,

i the section being taken through the several axles" between the wheel hubs and axle box' 45 bearing faces of the left hand side of the 1ocomotive. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail showing, in sectional elevation,upon a la r scale a portion of what is illustrated in i 1g. 1.' l* ig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the distributor or manitold.= Fig. Il is a vertical so axial section oil a terminal valve suitable lor ,use in connection with my assembly. Fig.

v5 illustrates a modilied form el @crible oonnections between the lubricant conducting conduits and the points ci delivery oi lubrim cant. A i

Referring particularly to Figs., l and 2 it will be seen that ll mount upon a suitable bracket l preferably' ri 'dly attached to the side frame member 2 or the locomotive, luce,

tor e, preferably an electric motor, to which tu operating current is supplied by means olf n cable 5 extending into the cab 6 ol the locomotive where it is connected with a suitable control switch, not shown.

The lubricator is provided with a pluralit ot leeds 7 to which lubricant is supplie by the lubricator in predetermined measured quantities. @ne ol these leeds is connected by means ol a conduit 8 with the distributor or manifold 9.

As shown in the drawings, where the installation is made in combination with a locomotive having ten drive wheels, there will be ten axle brasses to which relatively copious quantities of lubricant must be fed into a tight bearing nt between suoli iii-asses and the axles, and ten hub' bearing laces which, although requiring a constant adequate sup- -ply of lubricant, do not require as much as is cin necessary for lubrication of the axle brosses, @o

and do not present such a ti ht hearing t to which the lubricant must is fed.

Obviously this makes necessary the provision of twenty separate supplies of lubricant, ten of which must be relatively copious and at a pressure sucient to penetrate thetight 'bearing dt between the axles and axle brosses, and the other ten oi' which need not be so copious and need not be supplied under any eppreciahle pressure beceuse ci the inherent relatively iree wiping contact between the wheel hubs end the hub bearing feces ot the boxes.

ln the embodiment illustrated, it is shown es my intention to provide a locomotive ci the type mentioned with two luhricators euch of which lies sin feeds 'l end one ci' which luhricetors is mounted upon each side of the locomotive traine, ve of the feeds oi each lubricator being utilized for direct application of lubricant to the axle brosses, und the reinaining-r or sixth feed of each lubricetor, as hereinbefore described, leading through a conduit 8 to a manifold 9 having tive outlets, each oi which outlets is suitably connected with the hub bearing face ci one of the ten axle boxes.

Although this arrangement, wherein two lubricctors are employed, is the preferred embodiment ol my invention, it is obvious that l might use e single lubricetor provided with twelve feeds, ten ci which would be connected with the axle brassesend the other two of which would he connected with two distributors or manifolds similar to the manifold 9. lternativel, insteed of using a lubricator with twelve eeds, ll might employ one havingv eleven feeds and connect one of such feeds to a distributor or manifold provided with ten outletsa Each of the axle brasses is provided with a cavity l@ iironi which lead ducts 11 communicating with the bearing face of the brass, and to each of such brasses, and communicating with its cavity l0, l directly connect one of the feeds 7 by means of a suitable conduit or pipe 12 provided with an interposed dexible connection 13. Between such lexible connection and the cavity 1.0 of the bearing brass ll interpose a terminal check valve 1d, such, for example, as that illustrated in Fig. 4i. This check valve, as will be apparent from its construction, ermits lubricant to dow through it to the aring 'from the point ci introduction 15 to the point of discharge it, the lubricant being supplied thereto un er pressure suiicient to unseat the valve member li'. But, reverse iow of lubricant will be prevented.

y As shown, the v'manifold or distributor 9 (Figs. 2 and 3) comprises a body provided .with a longitudinal bore 18 into which lubricant is fed by way of the conduit 8, an'd formedupon the body of the manifold are vve bosses 19. Each of these bosses has a the parts connected, mar e accesos adeguate predetermined tlovv oilubricant from the here l into the covities 2l, and clean-out plugs 241- ere provided in the several bosses l 19 so that the ducts muy he vchained when necessary. v

y Esch ci the outlets 22 is connected by ineens ci e pipe or conduit 25 with e groove 2d iii the hub hearing face 27 oi a hearing hon and supplies lubricant thereto, and in eech oni said conduits or pipes 25 is interposed e tienible connection28., As will he seen, perticularly by reference to Fig: 2, the points ci introductionoi the lubricant to the grooves 2o by means oi the pipes or conduits 25 nre to one side of the vertical axial centers ci their respective oxles a and wheel hubs, the rear sides, thereby supplying the lubricant in largest uantities to the rear or rising sides of the w eel hubs when the locomotive is in forward motion. 'lhus introduced, the lubricant will be more likely to be carried around by the hubs and produce adequate lubrication than if it were supplied mainly to the forward or lowerin the consequent like ihood ci being thrown od by centrifugal force to atmosphere be- Jfore adequate lubrication could be derived from it. l

` ln Fig. 2 I have indicated the exible connections 13 and 28 as being ci the metallicsheathed tubing type and this type of exible connection is well lation. However, as indicated in Fig. 5, instead o usingisuch sheathed tubing, I may use, either for the entire len h of theconduits, or for a portion thereo steel or other tubing having the requisite elasticity to provide spring-like members or sections when coiled, and forming coils 29 therein which, in response to relative movement between and and contract to rovide the desired xi le connections.

t will thus bc seen that, by an assemhl having the characteristics of my invention, am enabled to provide adequate lubrication from one or more lubricators arranged in relative proximity to the ints to be lubricated, but not directly adiacent thereto, to a plurality of such points in excess of the number of feeds provided `by the lubricator proper, without sacrificing, in any degree adequate lubrication ofthe parts to be cated.

Moreover, by providing for the supply of lubricant directly from the pressure or force feeds of the lubricator to the points to be lusides of the hubs with lubri- Ill . ies, adapted to my instalt l bricated against a relatively tight bearin seal (the bearingsbetween the rasses an anxles), I am enabled to ensure proper and adequate lubrication at such oints under adverse conditions presented uring operation of the locomotive.

' Furthermore, by' splittin one of the lubricator feeds into a plura ity of separate supplies of lubricant, I make possible an economy in the lubrication of the hub faces and their bearings, but, nevertheless, conduct an adequate supply of lubricant thereto.

It will be understood that although I have hereinbefore described the invention in an assembly including-a six-feed lubricator with one 'eedthereof leading to a distributor, and in an assembly includmg a twelve-feed lubricator with two feeds thereof leading to two distributors, etc., it is susceptible of embodiment in an assembly includin ka lubricator having an desired number o feeds and any number o such feeds connected with any number of distributors, so that a variety of points of delivery of lubricant mayr be adequately and properly supplied cant. Obviously, also the distributors used may have more or less than five feeds, as may be necessary or desirable.

Various changes and modifications, in addition to those specifically referred to, are considered to be within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the following claims and the claims are intended to be so construed.

What I claim is 1. In a lubrication assembl a-lubricator, a plurality of members to be ubricated each having a radial bearing and a thrust bearing, a plurality of lubricant feeds provided by said lubricator, one of such feeds connected with each of said radial bearings, a distribut'or, one of such feeds connected to said distributor, and a plurality of conduits connected with said distributor, one of said conduits connected with each of' said thrust bearin wher-eb lubricant may be supplied in ad? quate iiferent quantities' to a pluralit of bearings in excesss of the number of eeds provided by said lubricator.-

2. In a lubrication assembly, the combination with a locomotive having a plurality of wheels each having. radial and thrust bearings, f a lubricator rovided with apluralitiy of feeds, a distri utor provided with a p urality of outlets, a connection for supplyin lubricant to said distributor from one of said feeds, connections between others of said feeds and said radial bearings, and connections between said outlets and said. thrust bearings.

3. In a lubrication assembly, the combination with a locomotive having a frame and a plurality of wheels movable relatively thereto, each having radial and thrust bearin of-a lubricator and a distributor carried isy wlth lubrisaid frame, said lubricator provided with a pluralit of lubricant feeds one of which supplies lu ricant to said distributor and said distributor provided with a plurality of lu bricant outlets, connections between said feeds and said radial bearings, connections between said outlets and said'thrust bearings, and a flexible member interposed in each of said connections.

Intestimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 3rd day of June A. D. 1930.

FRANK W. EDWARDS. 

